As some of you may know ( http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/whistle.gif ) I am getting a new tower so I need to know all the stuff I need to choose for my tower to be filled with.
So please everyone give me their honest opinions on the best hardware there is and a full list of components that tower has, thank you so much in advance.

Draco

15-09-04, 06:17

Which tower are you getting?

dmc444

15-09-04, 08:27

When you say "best hardware" you really need to say within what price range.
I can only dream about building my ideal computer. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/whistle.gif

janny_c.

15-09-04, 08:53

To answer Dracos question, I'm looking at the cases, but building a close-to-the-dream one to asnwer DMC's ;) http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/jumper.gif

I'm also positive about an Ati Radeon card. How is 9800 Pro like, in how many things is better then the Radeon 9200 SE that I have now currently, what is his performance (9800 Pro), and can I get a better one for a little additional price (over 40 bucks to 70 max)?!

[ 29. September 2004, 00:06: Message edited by: janny_c. ]

SpArKy

15-09-04, 11:13

I need a new graphics card for my laptop, but i dont know the best one out there or how to fit it in my machine!

ATI Radeon 9800 XT (http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030930/index.html) (article is a year old :D --best card of last year is cheaper now)

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

laracroft8290

15-09-04, 15:48

Dream machines come at a price of about $2000-4000.00USD (well that depends on who you ask lol) so if you have a budget in mind I can help you further in terms of staying within budget but getting the best as possible.

Simulation

16-09-04, 00:34

Originally posted by janny_c.:

Does anybody know if it's better then 3400 (sometimes latest things aren't) because this one is heck of a more expensive. Any more smarter bargain someone may suggest?I would always recommend that you buy a processor one or two notches down from the latest offering. The price difference is huge compared to the price, but the performance gain is marginal.

The same theory applies to the graphics card as well, but modern games need a decent graphics card and the overall performance is now governed more by graphics card than by processor. You can completely kill a top of the range Processor with a so so g card.

Here are some benchmarks to give you an idea. Matching Doom3 with the Best Graphics Card (http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040809/index.html) (P.S. ATI's new 4.9 driver should give up to 25% increase in performance - article (http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20040910_141908.html). (I'm just about to try out the new driver on Doom3 myself) http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[ 16. September 2004, 00:36: Message edited by: Simulation ]

Simulation

16-09-04, 00:38

Originally posted by SpArKy:
I need a new graphics card for my laptopAh....... Laptop use a chip on the motherboard and there's no room for a new card. Stuffed basically.

janny_c.

16-09-04, 02:32

Will somebody,ANYbody for once answer my question???
Where is good ol' Net?!

I just need you to list for me best in quality hardware and the full list that goes into tower, price desn't matter.

And this is what I'm looking for is my dream machine,but is also not over 1000, and it's allll new. Go figure http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/c-5.gif
Also, I'm asking if someone will name the latest and BEST ones, and then at the bottom also good ones but for a lesser price. (grammar?) In that same order....if you get what I mean.

Specifically get the AMD based system. Right now the AMD64 3000+ will get you the most bang for the buck in terms of gaming performance. Only thing you may want to do different is get a better video card...it could be ok atm depending on what games you are playing, but the above is most likely the best you can buy for $1000 and under.

[ 16. September 2004, 03:50: Message edited by: laracroft8290 ]

janny_c.

16-09-04, 04:24

No no no. I already know where to buy it and have a place, I just need a good names of pieces that go into tower. DOESN'T matter the price!

Does anyone know a GOOD Ati radeon card, of 256 memory,price doesn't matter, and a good AMD Athlon one,price doesn't matter.

laracroft8290

16-09-04, 04:46

Those two links provide a list of the best possible hardware for your computer under 1000.00 total for the entire system.

AMD64 3000+ @ 2GHz (Socket 754) ($167-175.00) is very good in terms of gaming as it can out pace a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition in Doom3. Athlon 3500+ @ 2.2GHz (socket 939) ($347-365.00) can out pace the P4 3.4GHz Extreme Edition.

AMD64 3000 vs. AMD64 3500....you aren't going to get that big of a performance except for when encoding audio and video as the higher clock speed helps (but 200MHz may not help). If you are a gamer AMD64 is the way 2 go. There is a difference in the two processors in terms of motherboards, cause one is socket 754 and the other is socket 939.

The best video card atm is a Geforce 6800 GT (ultra has two DVI ports for dual monitors but these cards are in short supply) or a Radeon X800 XT.

For Radeon 9800 get the XT and something with a 256-bit memory bus. These usually start at $300.00. And if you are going to buy one of those you might as well get the Geforce 6800GT as it slides in at $385.00

Either way you need at least 512MB of PC3200 memory IMO. If you can afford it go up to 2x512MB for a total of 1GB.

janny_c.

16-09-04, 05:01

Thanx. I'll see what I can get out of that.

laracroft8290

16-09-04, 05:35

Do you want a cd burner or a dvd burner?

janny_c.

16-09-04, 13:44

Well, since the guy can make me a dream tower out of all the components and hardware I own and am going to buy, I already have a very good CD burner to answer your question.
I just need names of good quality things i need. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/thumb.gif

[ 29. September 2004, 00:09: Message edited by: janny_c. ]

Joseph

16-09-04, 17:03

(Toms Hardware guide):
AMD Athlon 64 3400+ 3.2 GHz CPU

PC, UNIX - Socket 940 - Bus 1600 MHz - Sku: ADA3400BOX

The AMD Athlon 64 processor is the first and only Windows®-compatible 64-bit PC processor.

Price: $285 to $509

Compare prices from 26 stores (http://tomshardware.bizrate.com/marketplace/search/search__cat_id--403,prod_id--11380392.html)
Be aware though that you have to find a motherboard that has Socket 940 and can handle the Frontside
Bus Speed of 1600 MHZ of this cpu.

Graphic card: ATI RADEON 9800XT @ 256MB, and that one will cost you around 300 bucks. ATI Radeon X800 XT will cost some more, but it is nearly twice as fast.
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

[ 16. September 2004, 17:05: Message edited by: joseph ]

Draco

16-09-04, 17:23

Go for a Pro over an XT. It's the same card cept not clocked as high. And you can do that on your own.

laracroft8290

16-09-04, 17:30

Liteon for CD burners, Pioneer if you want a DVD Burner (also plays dvds and burns cds) as they have a multiformat dvd burner out atm for $90.00

Video Card: The 9800 pro is good. Get a Sapphire 256MB/256bit if you can. Newegg @ $279.00. A 128bit bus will seriously slow down the card, so a 256bit bus is necessary. But if you are going to drop that on that card you can either wait for a Geforce 6600 or get a Geforce 6800.

Burners: Pioneer DVR-108, Burns DVD+-R&RW (basically all four formats) and it burns CDs too. Then get a Lite-On 52x32x52x CD-RW

You can carry over keyboards, mice etc. Are you building yourself or is someone else going to build for you?

[ 16. September 2004, 17:34: Message edited by: laracroft8290 ]

janny_c.

17-09-04, 03:03

Me bulding a computer?! HA!! http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/clown.gif
My God, what will that look like.
No, The computer guy is building it for me. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/jumper.gif

I'll see what I can get for those things you named.

[ 29. September 2004, 00:16: Message edited by: janny_c. ]

janny_c.

29-09-04, 00:13

Just to keep all of you that helped me updated.
I got it, it's all fine and it's my dream machine...Except the graphic card,I need to get more money for that but that is the only thing left.

So I have now;
Intel Pentium IV 3.6 Ghz
RAM 512 MB (Weee, I can play Doom3)
HDD 120GB (Thank God,I was beggining to worry since all Sims take a lot of space,but anywho I can install anything I want now..there is a lot of space http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/jumper.gif )
Thanx again to all of you http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/thumb.gif http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

laracroft8290

29-09-04, 03:58

Should've gotten an Athlon but I won't hate ya for it http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/hug.gif

SpArKy

29-09-04, 23:57

Originally posted by Simulation:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by SpArKy:
I need a new graphics card for my laptopAh....... Laptop use a chip on the motherboard and there's no room for a new card. Stuffed basically.</font>[/QUOTE]Oh bugger, is an ATI Radeon 64mb card any good, he he! NO......LMAO!

janny_c.

30-09-04, 02:23

Not enough to open the latest games. Minimum is 128 MB http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/whistle.gif